Touring - 520 steerer tube

From the factory is the steerer tube on the Trek 520 long enough to get the bars to seat height? Is the tube cut to length at the factory or is that done at the bike shop? Is there a safety issue with regard to the steerer tube when setting the bars high?

From the factory is the steerer tube on the Trek 520 long enough to get the bars to seat height? Is the tube cut to length at the factory or is that done at the bike shop? Is there a safety issue with regard to the steerer tube when setting the bars high?


My 520 came with the steerer tube already cut. I talked to the LBS beforehand about it, and they said that there would be no problem with setting the handlebar high enough (seat level.) For me it turned out to be true. The stem that came on it was angled up enough to place the bars just below seat height. I later decided to have the bars up a little more, so the shop swapped out the stem for one that angled up even more. They said if I wanted even more height that they could achieve that with an extension of some sort.

I don't know if there are any safety concerns with the bars set higher.

From the factory is the steerer tube on the Trek 520 long enough to get the bars to seat height? Is the tube cut to length at the factory or is that done at the bike shop? Is there a safety issue with regard to the steerer tube when setting the bars high?

Tom,

I just bought a 520. I had the same question myself. It turns out that with the way my bike fits me the uncut steerer tube allows the bars to be level with the saddle using the stock stem. The bike shop unboxed the bike to assymble it before I tried it out so I know they didn't cut it.

My recommendation is to find a dealer who has them in stock so you can see them and try them. That's what I did. See my thread; http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=46601

Krispy